State Senate Bill 326 by Senators Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) and Diane Black (R-Gallatin) unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday. It proposes to increase the sentence for a person convicted of child rape.
?We are going to make Tennessee a safe haven for children,? said Beavers. ?Sexual predators in Tennessee need to be behind bars, and they need to stay there.?
As amended, Senate Bill 326 proposes to set the minimum penalty for rape of a child at 25 years in prison, with the maximum being life in prison. Currently the penalties are 15 to 60 years in prison.
Due to the increased incarceration time, the legislation would increase state expenditures by $7,690,700. This year, the Governor has included funding for the measure in the proposed budget.
?A lot has been said about Florida?s Jessica?s Law?, said Black. ?There are portions of our law that are already more strict than Florida?s law. This bill brings us more in line with Jessica?s Law, while keeping our laws tight.?
The bill will have to pass the House and be signed by the Governor before becoming law.

Three people have been arrested by the Smithville Police Department since Friday.
Chief Thomas J. Stufano says on April 13th Smithville Police Officers working selective traffic enforcement for speeding stopped 33 year old Edward Ralph Roberts of 229 Robinson Road in Liberty for excessive speed on West Broad Street. A computer check disclosed that Roberts was currently driving on a suspended license. He was arrested and charged with Driving on a Suspended License, No Insurance and Speeding and transported to the DeKalb County Jail. His bond is $3,000.
Meanwhile, Chief Stufano says On April 14th Smithville Officers investigating a reported suspicious person complaint at Evins Manor Apartments found a male walking around the complex knocking on apartment doors at 11:30 p.m. Further investigation noted that 22 year old Stephen Hunter Pugh of 234 Sweetwater Road in Liberty was also in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was subsequently arrested and transported to the DeKalb County Jail under a $1,000 bond.
Chief Stufano further reports that on April 15th at approximately 3:30 a.m. Smithville Police responded to the BP Gas Station on South Congress Boulevard to a reported drunk driver. Upon arrival 24 year old Charles Michael Blanchfield of 3770 Seven Spring Road in Smithville was found passed out at the gas pumps with the vehicle motor still running. Also found in his lap was a plate, straw and narcotics. In his hand were a plastic bag containing 7 marijuana cigarettes, 6 Hydrocodone tablets and 2 Xanax tablets.
Blanchfield was eventually awakened and placed under arrest and transported to the DeKalb County Jail. Charges included DUI, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of Drugs for Sale and Delivery. Bond was set at $27,000.

Students will be allowed to possess cell phones at school, but they won’t be permitted to use them under a new policy adopted on first reading by the Board of Education Thursday night.
Under the proposed policy regarding cell phones, “Students may possess personal communication devices, such as cell phones, while on school property. However, the personal communication device must be in the off mode and must be kept in a backpack, purse, or similar personal carry-all and may not be used during school hours. The principal or his or her designee may grant a student permission to use a personal communication device at his or her discretion. A device used outside these parameters shall result in confiscation of the device until such time as it may be released to the student’s parent or guardian. A student in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action.”
The proposed policy further states that “Use of cameras on personal communication devices is strictly prohibited on school property or at school functions. A student in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action.”
As for personal electronic devices, the proposed policy states that “Personal electronic devices such as CD players, Ipods, or MP3 players may be stored in backpacks, purses or personal carry-alls. However, the use of the devices during school hours is strictly forbidden. Use of improper storage of the personal electronic device will result in confiscation of the device until such time as it may be released to the student’s parents or guardian. A student in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action.”
The school board will act on the proposed policy on second reading at the next meeting May 10th at the high school cafeteria.

Director of Schools Mark Willoughby has signed contracts with the Professional Personnel for the 2007-2008 school year.
Willoughby presented a list of the employees to the Board of Education Thursday night.
Certified personnel at each school are as follows:
DeKalb County High School-
Angie Anderson, Lori Barnes, Penny Bilyeu, Danny Bond, Amanda Brown, Kevin Burchfield, Boyd Cantrell, Harriett Cantrell, Jeanine Cantrell, Mary Anne Carpenter, Patrick Cripps, Dixie Crook, Linda Dean, Donna Emmons, Marshall Ferrell, Tina Fletcher, Jonathan Fontanez, Michelle Fontanez, Amanda Fuller, Judy Fuson, Wayne Fuson, David Gash, Michael Hawkins, Marie Hill, Susan Hinton, Sonja House, John Isabell, Dylan Kleparek, Brad Leach, Deborah Loring, Lynus Martin, Rolanda Navarro, Scott Odom, Rebecca Oliver, Walteen Parker, Betty Parris, Linda Parris, Joey Reeder, Alissa Rice, Leslie Rice, Christine Rivers, Melissa Roysdon, Melissa Ruch, Frederick Sanders, Larry Steffee, Amy Tobitt, Steve Trapp, Chris Vance, Michael Whitefield, Carol Williams, Charlotte Wruble, Melvin Young, and Kathy Hendrix.
Northside Elementary School-
Joyce Alexander, Lisa Bell, Kathy Bryant, Linda Bush, Wendy Colvert, Danielle Collins, Amanda Dakas, Tena Davidson, Becky Davis, Alisha Day, Holly Espinosa Jerry Foster, Carrie Gottlied, Amy Green, Amanda Griffith, Jennifer Griffith, Patty Hale, Karen Jacobs, Kristy Lasser, Amanda Mathis, Libby McCormick, Penelope Miller, Pamela Miller, Louise Owen, Joy Parker, Amy Raymond, Bethany Rigsby, Tammy Sims, Jama Todd, Julie Vincent, Betsye Walker, Tad Webb, Ginger Wenger, Sandy Willingham, and Gayle Redmon.
DeKalb West School-
Pat Allen, Doris Cantrell, Jeanna Caplinger, Bill Conger, Kim Crook, Martha Damron, Donna Davis, Genrose Davis, Tonya Ellis, Janet England, Sabrina Farler, Carol Hale, Lesa Hayes, Ricky Hendrix, Regina Kent, Kathy Lawrence, Michael Littrell, Shelia McMillen, Melanie Molander, Tammy Payne, Cynthia Preston, Lori Pryor, Susan Robinson, Jane Watson, Vicki Wilson, Amy Young, and Danny Parkerson.
Smithville Elementary School-
Sharon Anderson, Kelly Birmingham, Kim Brown, Vickie Burton, Beth Cantrell, Laura Carter, Trena Curtis, Sue Driver, Vicky Duke, Wanna Foster, Kelli Foster, Amy Fox, Misty Franklin, Tina Gash, Amanda Hardiek, Vicky Hawker, Bradley Hendrix, Holly Hendrix, Mary Henny, Betty Hickey, April Hines, Lori Isabell, Anna Johnson, Sabrina Kirksey, Karen Knowles, Carrie Lee, Lynda Luna, Lisa Mabe, LeVaughnda Midgett, Margaret Nichols, Christina Ontiveros, Elizabeth Pafford, Jane Parsley, Kristy Parsley, Jennifer Peek, Mary Pugh, Jane Ramsey, Amanda Rhoady, Carol Tallent, Jan Thomas, Janet Trapp, Carol-Ann Tripp, Fay Turner, Sherian Waggoner, Janet Woodward, Crystal Young, Christie Young, and Billy Tanner.
DeKalb Middle School-
Joey Agee, Josh Agee, Jan Alexander, Ashley Barnes, Pat Barnes, Sherry Bush, Lori Cloyd, Lisa Craig, Lisa Cripps, Jennifer Davenport, Nancy Dillon, Lori Hendrix, Tom Hill, Michelle Jones, Gail Kirksey, Linda Lawrence, Michael Lewis, Debra Moore, Karen Pelham, Anita Puckett, Judy Redmon, Kevin Rigsby, Joyce Robertson, Joe Ruch, Candice Scarbro, Lori Sexton,Tonya Sullivan, Kitty Thomas, Vicky Terrell, Pam Vanatta, Jennifer West, and Randy Jennings.
Central Office Staff-
Gina Arnold, Katherine Ballard, Michelle Burklow, Clay Farler, Carol Hendrix, Larry Johnson, and Mary Nelle Summers
County Wide-
Ana Bain, Judy Malone, Lori Rogers, Peggy Semmes, and Tonya Perry.
Meanwhile, those who have been employed for the 2006-2007 school year since March include Beatrice Mongello, transportation; Kortny Blaylock, substitute teacher; Patricia Redmon, substitute cafeteria worker; and Sara Lee, substitute cafeteria worker.
Those granted a leave of absence as requested are Joseph Agee, teacher at DeKalb Middle School and LaVaughnda Midgett, teacher at Smithville Elementary School.
Janice Bratcher has been transferred to a subtitute cafeteria position.
Charles Gilbert, DCHS Band Director, has resigned.
Larry Steffee and Cynthia Preston were granted tenure by the school board. Their names were inadvertently left off the list for educators obtaining tenure last month.

The first public hearings on the proposed local option sales tax increase/property tax cut didn’t attract many people Thursday night at Liberty or Dowelltown but a couple of people who did speak expressed their concerns.
At the Dowelltown hearing, Snow Hill resident Mike Antoniak suggested that the proposed sales tax hike would amount to an overall tax increase for most residents of DeKalb County, even with a property tax cut, and he took issue with recent public statements made by County Mayor Mike Foster.
Foster recently told the local media that the annual property tax bill on a $200,000 piece of property would be reduced by approximately $90 with the 19 cent reduction in the property tax rate. He said it would take nearly $8,000 in purchases by a consumer for the 1.25 cent hike in the sales tax to go over the $90 savings.
Antoniak says he did some research and found that only about 6% of the property owners in DeKalb County have land assessed at more than $200,000. Using Foster’s scenario, Antoniak says for 90% of the property owners, this would not be a tax swap, as Foster contends, but a tax increase. “The logic works until you look at what percentage of homes or properties in the county is assessed at $200,000 or more. I called the Tax Assessor’s office and he referred me to the Division of Property Assessments in Cookeville. This is what she told me and I had her to repeat it. There are 1,047 pieces of property in DeKalb County, out of 17,000, assessed above $200,000. That’s six percent. So that would mean for 90% of the people here, if they spend just the $8,000 (purchases where sales tax is applied) their taxes are actually going to increase. I mean $8,000 is just $150 a week for groceries.”
As far as the overall plan is concerned, Foster still insists that it would basically amount to a tax swap, with the loss of funds from the nineteen and a half cent property tax cut to be offset by new revenue generated from the proposed sales tax hike, which is projected to be the equivalent of twenty one cents on the tax rate. Foster says the plan would give property owners a 10% tax cut while broadening the sales tax base, distributing the tax burden among a greater number of people including tourists and others who work here but reside elsewhere. ” You have a choice of broadening the base of who is paying. You can’t continuously forever rely on property tax payers.”
At the Liberty meeting, Myron Rhody, another Snow Hill resident, weighed in on the debate, saying while he supported the sales tax increase last year, he has reservations about it now. “I voted for the sales tax increase last year because that’s more fair. But I don’t like this way it’s coming now. It’s almost like you’re saying ‘I’m going to twist your arm a little bit or encourage you a little bit by saying we’re going to give you this (property tax cut)if you’ll take that (sales tax increase) now, because it didn’t go (pass) before. I’m just telling you what I have heard all over the county. It’s everybody you talk to, even the ones who were for the sales tax increase the last time and voted for it. They don’t like this at all. It smells fishy to them.”
Foster responded saying ” Vote against it and it will smell like higher taxes.”
Rhody added that he would tend to favor a wheel tax. ” You’ve got people who live in the projects. You’ve got people who are not local residents of the United States. But they all drive cars. I’m not in favor of a tax period. But we’ve got to have it. I’d rather see a wheel tax come in or a luxury tax. I’ve got a boat. You may have a boat. But we don’t have to have those things to live. You have to have groceries. You have to have clothes. There are some people who are just barely getting by.”
The county commission, in 2003, raised the property tax rate by 36 cents. Last September, the commission raised the rate by 39 cents.
County officials say if the sales tax referendum is approved by the voters in a special election on Thursday, May 17th, which would raise the local option sales tax rate from 1.5 to the maximum of 2.75%, the county commission will reduce the property tax rate by at least nineteen and a half cents.
Whether or not the sales tax referendum is approved, county officials have not ruled out the possibility of some other tax increase or new tax within the next four or five years, should the need arise, due to inflation.